NCRVDA Raleigh Fall RV Show and Sale

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the Carolina Podcast Network. I'm your host Trevor
Marini today excited to be talking about the twenty twenty
five Progressive NCRVDA Raleigh Fall RV Show in Sale. It's
happening at the NC State Fairground August twenty second through
the twenty fourth, and we've got a full house today
on the phone as we talked to Jeff Haughton, the
executive director of the North Carolina RV Dealers Association. We're

(00:25):
also talking to Sean Avery Brown ownership experience as manager
at Ford Trucks, and Melissa and Garrick, RV underwriter with Progressive.
Happy to welcome you all. Let's start with Jeff. It
is one of the largest RV shows in North Carolina.
What can you tell us about any new vendors, attractions
or special features we should be aware of this year?

Speaker 2 (00:47):
Well, Trevor, it's great to be back, coming back to
Raleigh for the Fall RV Show in Sale. Truly the
best time of year to purchase a new RV or
learn about rving if you're new to rving. We have
probably over one hundred different brands available this year, with
ten local dealers exhibiting virtually every product made in the

(01:10):
RV industry.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
And what types of RVs are generating the most interest
this year.

Speaker 2 (01:17):
The largest percentage of RVs sold in North Carolina this
past year have been trailered RV's. However, the class C
van style motor home is also very popular, and in
North Carolina the fifth wheel RV is still very popular.

Speaker 1 (01:35):
And then I know there's also a large growing interest
in eco friendly or maybe compact RVs as well. How
are dealers adapting to that growing interest?

Speaker 2 (01:45):
There are a lot of ARV's now people behind small
SUVs that are very popular, and also the smaller class
sea vans are very very popular for the same reason.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
So if you don't have a big truck or something,
you just have a smaller SUV like I do, that
could be a good option.

Speaker 2 (02:06):
It's a very good option and really enables you to
experience the full the experience, particularly in North Carolina where
we're blessed to have mountains, beach and lakes all within
a day drive.

Speaker 1 (02:21):
And then I also want to move over and talk
to Sean as well ownership experience as manager at Ford Truck's.
Good afternoon, Sean, So can you share with us what
Towing boot Camp is and why Ford's created this experience
because this sounds really interesting to me.

Speaker 3 (02:39):
Absolutely, So this a towing boot camp was created because
we listen to our owners, and thirty five percent of
our owners tell us that they want to learn more
about towing. They want to tow their RV, they're both
their jets, motorcycles and other miscellaneous items, but they have
no clue how to at a minimum get started, or
even if they have some general knowledge, they don't know

(03:01):
how to use the towing technology in our vehicles, meaning
our Ford Pro Trailer backup and pro trailer hitchruses. And
even if they have some general knowledge, how do I
toe safely? Is the next question. So this experience is
really designed to solve these pain points for our owners
and future owners and empower all people to go out

(03:22):
and be confident while enjoying the world. In North Carolina
has just described with you know, the various terrains that
they can experience there and just their overall vehicle experience,
just in canceling it for them.

Speaker 1 (03:35):
So I'm going to be completely honest, I have never
towed before, so I might, you know, somebody like me
might feel a little bit intimidated about signing up for
something like this. So who's the ideal participant for this
boot camping? Is it okay if somebody like me has
never told before.

Speaker 3 (03:50):
Absolutely our ideal participant is anyone anyone who wants to
know more about towing, anyone who wants to understand more
about our towing technology. As I'm mentioned our Ford Pro
trailer backup and our pro trailer hitch and assist anyone
who really wants to get out there and see the

(04:10):
world and take their RV with them or anything else
they might be towing. And this is for just not
just the novice toward not someone who's new to towing
or has never towed. But again, there's something there for everyone.
We also have some towing tools that we have online
tools that we'll talk about, which are our towing calculators.

(04:31):
So if you haven't bought your RV yet and you're
coming out to the RV show and you're kind of
trying to figure out what's right for you, our tolling
calculator can tell you exactly what type of truck you
need to buy in order to tow the RV that
you choose, or vice versa. A really cool technology to
share as well.

Speaker 1 (04:47):
Yeah, that sounds super informative and educational. Where can people
go to sign up for boot camp and where will
you be located?

Speaker 3 (04:54):
Well, we will be located actually right as you enter
the main the main space there. But I would what
I would do is I would direct people to Ford
chillingfoot camp dot com. Really easy for chillingbootcamp dot com
to learn more information about what we're offering. But we're
offering a trolling one oh one, so all the fundamentals

(05:15):
about towing. We're going to again to talk about the
technology that we have that are in our vehicles. We'll
do a hand hands on like trailer backup experience where
some owners, if you choose, can get behind the wheel
or some participants can get behind the wheel and practice
actually hitching. And then for those who want to go further,
we'll also offer a close core striving experience as well.

Speaker 1 (05:35):
That sounds like a super again, super educational. It sounds
like a fun way to get into it. So thanks
so much for that info, Sean, and also want to
speak to Melissa from Progressive RV underwriter with Progressive How
are you?

Speaker 2 (05:51):
I'm great?

Speaker 4 (05:52):
How are you guys today?

Speaker 2 (05:53):
Very good?

Speaker 1 (05:53):
Thanks for joining us. So what trends are you noticing
in our industry right now?

Speaker 4 (06:00):
Well, exactly what just said. You know, I'm seeing a
ton of travel trailers. I'm out on the roads, I'm
always you know, I can check off my Bengo card
usually within a few miles. So definitely all types of
travel trailers are just exploding. We're also seeing a new

(06:23):
generation of enormous destination type trailers that are you know,
two stories and have a couple of waws. So I
would say in the last five years, it's been just
a sprint for everyone to make something new. It's amazing.

(06:45):
So we do offer coverages for destination trailers. For a
drivable motor home, we're seeing a ton of Class B
camper vans, and we at Progressive began writing a DIY

(07:08):
type camper vand so customers can do it themselves. As
long as we can inspect it, we're probably going to
be able to ensure it. So we've noticed probably twenty
twenty one many people were on that trend. So we've
met that challenge and we have that coverage. So we're

(07:30):
so excited to be there. Like Sean said, anywhere, our
customers want to go. We want to be able to
cover them.

Speaker 1 (07:38):
So that's interesting. You mentioned, you know, twenty twenty one
more people were at home, so probably had more time
on their hands to do it yourself. And you also
mentioned the two stories. Is this what we're you know,
we're talking about people using r vs as as their
you know, as their rolling home, or maybe it's you know,
their home home. Like what kind of coverage do you
offer for those types of folks?

Speaker 4 (07:58):
That's that's a great questions. The destination trailers I've never
seen being towed. Those are usually ones that are going
to be stationary, and we definitely offer stationary RV coverage.
So if that's your you know, we can get away
in a campground and you keep it there half of
the year. We can ensure that. We do ensure a

(08:23):
lot of people too, Trevor, that are that have a
rolling home and you can turn on anything on YouTube
and follow people that might be in your demographic. Maybe
you know you're young and you want to see the world.
You need to work remotely. You can do that from

(08:43):
a camper van or homeschool your children. You can toe
behind that large fifth wheel and you can see the country.
So there's just so many things you can do. If
you live in it full time, we have a policy
for you. We have extra coverages for customers that technically,

(09:07):
like you said, have a rolling home. So that's just
one of the things I've always been really excited about
talking to our customers. I love going to the RV
shows and talking with consumers who are maybe looking for
their first RV or maybe upgrading to a new RV.
So there's always information that they provide us, and we

(09:32):
tried to meet our customers' needs, so it's always fun
to be at these shows.

Speaker 1 (09:39):
Melissa, thanks so much for all the great info. Going
back to Jeff, executive director of the North Carolina RV
Dealers Association, take us home. We're talking about the twenty
twenty five Progressive ncr VDA Raleigh Fall RV Show and sale.
It is August twenty second through the twenty fourth. Any
special ticket pricing, where can people get tickets and more?

Speaker 2 (09:59):
In Trevor, we will have tickets at the door for
ten dollars. Children twelve and under are free. There's also
parking that's a partner Atlanta State Programs, and we offered
discatik prices at our website. Www dot North Carolina RVDA dot.

Speaker 1 (10:20):
Com and just to repeat, North Carolina RVDA dot com
for more tickets and info. I want to thank our
guests so much again. Jeff Hoton, the executive director of
the North Carolina RV Dealers Association, Sean Avery Brown ownership
experience as manager at Ford Trucks, and Melissa and Garrick
RV underwriter with Progressive. Thank you all so much.

Speaker 4 (10:42):
You have a great thank you.

Speaker 1 (10:44):
Thank you so much. Looking forward to the twenty twenty
five Progressive ncrv DA Raleigh Fall r V show in
sale again. That's August twenty second through twenty four. Thanks again,